Evaluating Customer Experience through Customer Journey Mapping and Service Blueprinting at Edmonton Public Library: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the design, implementation, and findings of an exploratory project to evaluate customer experience at Edmonton Public Library (EPL). The EPL Intern Librarian Project had three objectives: to establish the current state of customer experience at EPL, identify pain points, and develop recommendations for improvement. The study used the ethnographic methods of Customer Journey Mapping and Service Blueprinting to directly engage with customers and staff to produce visual documents reflecting respondents’ customer experience at EPL. In order to gather data for Customer Journey Maps, participants were simultaneously observed and interviewed as they completed different activities in the library. During the creation of the Journey Maps, pain points were identified. Interactive focus groups and interviews with EPL staff members unpacked pain points and informed the creation of corresponding Service Blueprints. Based on the findings, a number of recommendations were proposed to improve the customer experience including enhanced digital wayfinding,clearly identifiable catalogue stations, and revised website FAQs. Suggestions for applying these methods include the use of multiple techniques for participant recruitment, focusing on specific library activities, and actively promoting the project internally.